Mumbai – Bharti Airtel Ltd, the India's mobile service giant, is reportedly having talks to sell out around 10 % of its mobile telecoms tower company for about $1.1 billion.

According to the reports, the company, based in New Delhi, is having talks with Singapore's state-owned Temasek Holdings and Warburg Pincus to sell up the share in Bharti Infratel.

Earlier this year, Bharti decided to transfer its mobile towers to a separate wholly owned unit.

Bharti reported that it has been planning to double the number of towers to 80,000 by March 2008, as it has been expanding coverage into rural areas.

However, a final decision on selling an equity stake in Infratel has not been taken yet, says a close source.

30.8 percent owned by Singtel, Bharti Airtel has said in July that it had offered a 4.99 percent stake in the flagship mobile services firm to Temasek.

India's No. 2 mobile operator, Reliance Communications Ltd has recently sold 5 % of its towers business to a clutch of institutional investors for $345 million.